Dry Ice Cleaning and Food Process Equipment

Food process equipment comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, mechanisms, and materials that require regular cleaning for optimal performance and extended usage. There are many cleaning methods for maintaining your equipment and cooking surfaces which include a variety of disinfecting solutions, from options that require the application of carefully measured disinfectant chemicals to options that have no harsh chemicals and produce no residual material. The priority to maintaining your food process equipment is using non-corrosive cleaning methods that will not cause erosion of the equipment and cooking surfaces, allowing you to maximize the usage and production of your food process equipment.

What is Dry Ice Cleaning?

Dry ice cleaning is an innovative cleaning method that uses small pellets of dry ice, or frozen carbon dioxide, and compressed air for a high power blasting that is extremely effective yet nonabrasive to remove tough grime and residue build up on many different types of equipment and surfaces. The technology is innovative because the frozen carbon monoxide is sublimed, which is the process of heating a solid to a gas vapor. This process skips the liquefaction process thus eliminating the residue that is typical with using liquid disinfectants and sanitizing materials of other cleaning methods. Also, the process of subliming and lack of liquid eliminates the risk of electrical conductivity, creating an overall safer product for cleaning food process equipment of varying conditions.

The high powered carbon dioxide gas has the effect of completely eliminating the residue, causing it to peel away and reveal a cooking surface that is extremely clean. The powerful effect of dry ice cleaning is similar to sand-blasting because it is also used for paint removal, fire restoration, glue removal, but the advantage is the nonabrasive combination of carbon dioxide and compressed air is perfect for food process equipment needs such as industrial oven cleaning, grease and oil removal, and cooking surface disinfection.

The Advantages of Dry Ice Cleaning and Food Process Equipment

There are many ways that dry ice cleaning is an effective cleaning solution for food processing equipment, including: environmentally friendly with no harsh chemicals or disinfectant solutions; mess free cleaning with no left over residue, reducing the overall cleaning time; nonabrasive carbon dioxide is perfect for stainless steel and other equipment materials that could be corroded or scratched by harsh chemicals or scrubbing pads; high power blasting with quick results; and easy portability to use for equipment all over the kitchen, restaurant, or home. Each of these unique advantages to dry ice cleaning is described in detail below.

Environmentally-Friendly: Dry Ice Cleaning is an environmentally friendly solution for food process equipment because it presents the advantage of using the materials of frozen carbon dioxide and compressed air, eliminating the need for other harsher chemicals that typically are required to break down strong residue build up, including grease and oil, so the residue can be removed. By eliminating the requirement for harsh chemicals it reduces damage to the environment and the risk of safety issues for working handling or coming into contact with the harsh chemicals in disinfectant solutions.

Mess Free: Dry ice cleaning is unique in the way that it eliminates built up residue without leaving any mess behind, reducing the overall cleaning time required. The lack of residue left behind is a result of the high powered blast of the carbon dioxide gas and the resulting sublimation process that eliminates any liquefaction of the cleaning agents or the residue.

Nonabrasive: One of the most common materials used in food process equipment is stainless steel, an incredibly durable product that can be subject to corrosion if proper cleaning methods are not used. Corroded cooking equipment compromise their ability to safely and effectively process foods, so it is essential that your cleaning method is nonabrasive to avoid the negative impact of corrosion. Dry ice cleaning’s use of frozen carbon dioxide and compressed air is extremely effective and nonabrasive so it can remove even the toughest residue build up without scratching or corroding the equipment or cooking surface.

High Power with Quick Results: Dry ice cleaning uses equipment that produces an ongoing high-powered blast of air powering the propulsion of tiny frozen carbon dioxide pellets, blasting away the residue quickly and with the ease of just directing the flow of the air stream to the area to be cleaned.

Easy Portability: The machines used for dry ice cleaning are easy to use and portable, designed so this cleaning method can be utilized on many pieces of equipment throughout the food process facility or in multiple food process facilities.

Dry ice cleaning is one of many deep cleaning options for food process equipment to assist in maintaining the integrity and safety of your food or drink products.